I just want to mention that the first two seasons are (mostly) really excellent television, and I heartily recommend them to anyone, for the Fraser back-story, if nothing else. Vecchio is not my Ray-of-choice, but he was a good friend to Fraser, and shouldn't be dismissed lightly, IMO. Aukestrel's Coming to Terms (http://www.dueslash.com/archive/67.html) is a story that shows him to good advantage, although it's set post-series.

(I started writing before I'd seen any of the show, and my early stories are chock-full of fanon, which makes me twitch now. Did you know there's an episode where Fraser says "What the hell" and almost has sex with a woman who he knows is engaged? In a sleazy motel, no less. Canon is full of surprises.)